The numbers that are thrown around are really misleading and need to be clarified. The entire area of the city is 139 square miles, I think everyone can agree on that. However about 40% of that area is public land, that is land that is given to things like streets, state highways, freeways, parks, schools, public buildings, railroads, utility easments, etc. I think people would be surprised to find out just how much land in a city is public and how much is private even under the best of circumstances.The really important number is the ratio of privately owned land versus vacant land that is not public. My hunch is that the number is even higher than the oft-quoted figure of 30%. I think it's important that any discussion begin with a clear understanding of the nature of the problem. -Ironjohn [Detroit's Vacancy Is Easy To See, Hard To Quantify]
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